Chen Xiao and Zhao Xiangjun got out of the car, each carrying a basket as they headed for the pomegranate orchard.
On the way, she said, "Chen Xiao, you must be really bored to attend a class reunion like this!"
"It's been so many years, I didn't expect it to be like this either. Besides, I mainly wanted a date with you. Wasn't this just a good excuse?"
She huffed softly. "That was completely unnecessary. If I want to go out with you, I'll go. It's not because of your class reunion! I don't like crowded places."
"I get it now. From now on, our dates will just be the two of us. I'll only look for quiet, secluded places."
"Wow, this pomegranate is huge!" she exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent.
"It is. It's a bit high up. Be careful the branches don't scratch your hand. Let me get it."
"Ah... Chen Xiao, you jinxed me!"
Chen Xiao quickly ran over and took her arm. A scratch had appeared on her smooth, jade-like skin, and his heart ached at the sight.
He grabbed the branch, about to rip it off, and muttered, "How dare you scratch my Xiangjun!"
Zhao Xiangjun rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be so cheesy. Talk normally!"
Chen Xiao chuckled. "Just call me for the ones that are hard to reach. I'm thick-skinned, so I'm not afraid of a few scratches. You're not!"
"I grew up in the countryside. What hardship haven't I endured? You think a little scratch like this matters?"
"That was in the past. Now that you're with me, I definitely won't let you suffer like that!"
She huffed again, but the smile on her face revealed her inner delight!
In a short while, both baskets were full. After spending the morning together, the feelings between them had deepened. Though nothing had been said outright, they were no different from a couple.
When Chen Xiao occasionally reached for her hand, she no longer pulled away!
"Chen Xiao, I'm tired!"
"Then let's go rest in the car. We already have two baskets full. We can't eat all this ourselves. You can give some to your nieces and nephews later!"
They carried the baskets to the sales counter, paid, and had the pomegranates packed into two large boxes. After tossing them in the trunk, the two sat in the car, chatting with the air conditioning on.
Just then, Chen Xiao's phone rang. He saw it was a call from Xu Wu and pressed the answer button. Since the phone was connected to the car's Bluetooth, the conversation was audible throughout the cabin.
"Chen Xiao, I've sent you the commission for that order. Check your account—it's 90,000! I'm pretty efficient, right?"
Chen Xiao just grunted in acknowledgment and didn't chat for long. Zhao Xiangjun was sitting right there, and he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.
He pulled up his system interface and saw a notification:
"DING! The Host has received a bonus of 90,000. With a Diligence Reward multiplier of 10, you have received a Diligence Reward of 900,000."
Then he saw a message notification that his balance had increased by 990,000.
'So it really works. As long as I stay in my current position, all the sales bonuses I earn will come with an extra reward from the Diligence Reward system.'
"Oh dear, I just accidentally made 90,000. It's just a little bit of money, but I guess it's better than nothing!"
"You're such a show-off!" Zhao Xiangjun rolled her eyes at him, but she was also happy for him.
"Xiangjun, see? With my financial strength, buying an apartment would be no problem at all, right?" he continued, trying to tempt her.
"No. You don't even have a place of your own, so why would you buy one for me!"
'Girl, it's a buy-one-get-one-free deal! If you have one, then I'll have one too!'
He knew she wouldn't accept it right away, so he'd have to try a different approach.
Just then, Tao Yong and Zhang Yu came over. Chen Xiao got out of the car, opened the trunk, and put their pomegranates inside as well.
For lunch, they chose the farmhouse restaurant at the orchard, all pre-arranged by Meng Jianshu.
Ever since discovering Chen Xiao drove a Mercedes-Benz, Meng Jianshu's attitude towards him had done a complete 180.
"Chen Xiao, this shrimp is very fresh, you should try some! And you too, beautiful!"
Chen Xiao was polite in response, but Meng Jianshu's change in attitude didn't improve his opinion of him in the slightest. If this meal hadn't been arranged in advance, he wouldn't even have bothered to eat it!
Meng Jianshu also made some polite remarks to Liu Bo and the others. As everyone started to pick up their chopsticks, they noticed that Zhao Xiangjun had started eating, but Chen Xiao hadn't moved.
What happened next made everyone's jaws drop!
Chen Xiao hadn't moved, but Zhao Xiangjun was constantly in motion—she kept peeling shrimp and placing the meat into Chen Xiao's bowl!
'Holy crap, are they showing off their relationship? That bastard Chen Xiao! Being served by a beauty like that... it's just criminal.'
The other guys all turned to look at their own female companions, but the women acted as if they hadn't seen a thing. Clearly, their men weren't getting that kind of treatment!
'Forget it. Comparisons are odious!'
But the most infuriating part was yet to come. When the fruit was served, Zhao Xiangjun did the same thing, peeling it for Chen Xiao and even sticking a toothpick in it for him!
'What the hell is this? Isn't this just meant to mess with our heads?'
Zhao Xiangjun wasn't doing it on purpose. It had become a habit for her during their daily dinners. Her personality was such that, aside from the person she wanted to focus on, she treated everyone else as if they didn't exist. She certainly wasn't putting on a show for them.
The meal was very uncomfortable for Chen Xiao, and even more so for the others. The looks they gave him were a mixture of envy, jealousy, and hate. The treatment he was receiving was even better than what King Zhou could have hoped for!
And Zhao Xiangjun's beauty probably surpassed even Su Daji's!
After the meal, Chen Xiao found an excuse and slipped away. He couldn't stand these people, and he knew someone with Zhao Xiangjun's personality would find it even more unbearable. If she weren't there for him, she probably wouldn't have come even if you offered her a mountain of gold!
Back home, Chen Xiao went to Zhao Xiangjun's room. She had washed and cut some fruit for him, and the two sat on the sofa, chatting.
Chen Xiao leaned back, and with a sweep of his arm, he pulled her into an embrace.
He could feel her tense up at first, but then her body gradually relaxed.
Chen Xiao got a little greedy, his hands starting to wander toward the peaks. But Zhao Xiangjun dodged him each time. He knew the time wasn't right yet. It was obvious she was a very conservative person; letting him hold and hug her was already a huge breakthrough.
So he gave up on his surprise attack and switched to holding her quietly. He discovered that she really liked it, even letting out a comfortable murmur!
Zhao Xiangjun felt a little flustered, so she picked up her phone to distract herself. But her hand, trying to enter the unlock code, betrayed her; she kept getting it wrong!
Chen Xiao laughed. "What is it? I'll enter it for you!"
"199977"
"You actually told me! Aren't you afraid I'll leak your password?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I use this same password for everything!"
"You're so recklessly trusting, giving out your password just like that."
"Do you take me for a fool? It's not like I've given it to anyone else!"
A sense of satisfaction welled up in Chen Xiao's heart. He seized the opportunity, saying, "Alright then, my reckless girl, let me borrow your ID card tomorrow."
"For what? Why do you suddenly need my ID card?"
"Don't worry about it. Just tell me if you'll give it to me or not."
"Here, take it. What are you being so mysterious about?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow night!"
"Chen Xiao, are you sure you're mentally all there? Maybe you should take a day off tomorrow and get yourself checked out."
Chen Xiao was so annoyed he wanted to tickle her, but she giggled, broke free, and ran off!
"Come back! Let me hold you for a bit longer. I haven't had enough!"
Pouting, she obediently came back and sat down beside him. Chen Xiao wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close into his arms. He then rested his chin in her thick, beautiful hair, inhaling its fresh fragrance.